The present invention concerns data processing and pertains particularly to a customizable and extendable data processing architecture for a data acquisition instrument
Electronic instruments such as network analyzers and spectrum analyzers often allow data acquisition over many channels and include a display capable of displaying one or more traces. For example, Model Number 8719D microwave vector network analyzers are available from Agilent Technologies, Inc., having a business address of 395 Page Mill Road, P.O. Box #10395, Palo Alto, Calif. 94306. An 8719D microwave vector network analyzer has a four parameter display that can display all four S-parameters simultaneously. Any combination of reflection and transmission parameters can be displayed, with magnitude, phase, group delay, Smith chart, polar, standing wave ratio (SWR), or time-domain formats. Results may viewed in overlay or split-screen format on a liquid crystal display (LCD) color display with one, two or four graticules. See, for example, Agilent 8719D, 8720D, and 8722D Microwave Vector Network Analyzers brochure, available as part number 5966-4007E, copyright 1998,2000, from Agilent Technologies, Inc.
Architecture for prior art network analyzers tend to allow limited post-processing options. For example, previous network analyzers have a fixed number of measurements and algorithms that can be performed. Software in network analyzers are typically limited to an S-Parameter, arbitrary receiver ratio, or unratioed receiver data. Additional results typically can only be obtained by writing a program the runs on a computing system external to the network analyzer. An external computer running such a program may have the capability to query for S-Parameter, arbitrary ratio, or raw receiver data and externally performs more sophisticated computations such as a K-Factor computation. The drawback with using an external computer is that this incurs the overhead of transporting data via some input/output (I/O) mechanism to the external computer. Also, since the desired final computed result exists on the external computer, the standard network analyzer software analysis features such as marker or limit line testing cannot be applied for further analysis (unless they are rewritten in the external program). Also, the network analyzer""s data display cannot be used. Some of the utility of the network analyzer""s software has been traded for the ability to perform a more sophisticated data computation than is offered by the standard network analyzer software.
In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, an electronic instrument includes instrument hardware, core software, and the ability to support custom data processing libraries, separate from the core software. The instrument hardware acquires unprocessed measured data. The core software includes standard measurement objects and standard algorithms. The standard measurement objects produce analysis results of the unprocessed measured data. The standard algorithms are used by the standard measurement objects to aid in production of analysis results of the unprocessed measured data. Custom libraries as supported by the core software include custom measurement objects and custom algorithms. The custom measurement objects produce analysis results of the unprocessed measured data. The custom algorithms are used by the custom measurement objects to aid in production of analysis results of the unprocessed measured data. The custom measurement objects also are capable of using the standard algorithms to aid in production of analysis results of the unprocessed measured data.